The Kaldis
by eccentricrabbit
Summary: Will & Magnus travel to New Zealand to do some research on the "Kaldis" an abnormal that looks exactly like a child. They get into a spot of trouble and learn that the Kaldis are not the only abnormals in the area... Will/Magnus (although mostly hinted at).
1. Chapter 1

He woke to the sound of someone murmuring in his ear. It took him only a few seconds to recognise Magnus' voice. The next thing he realised – he was using her shoulder as a cushion. He sat up abruptly. He _always_ fell asleep when flying! Why was it when he _wanted_ to sleep he couldn't, but when he was on an airplane he could sleep for hours on end? Poor Magnus she virtually never slept on the plane and she always allowed him to use her as a pillow which can't exactly be comfortable after the first hour or so.

"What was that?" He asked and ran a hand over his mouth tiredly.

"I said: they are preparing to land now." She smiled and ruffled his hair. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," he mumbled.

Almost to Wellington, brilliant! He was really looking forward to this trip with Magnus. They were coming to check out an abnormal species that Magnus has never actually seen before – she knew of them but a situation where she could observe them had never arisen until now. A small group of _Kaldis_ were spotted on Mt. Ruapehu and Magnus jumped at the chance to come and do some research of her own.

"Sorry, I always end up using you as a pillow."

"That's quite alright, Will." Magnus told him with a small smile on her face. "Now while you were sleeping they said to expect a fair bit of turb-" but she didn't finish her sentence because the plane suddenly lurched to one side and they bounced in their seats.

"Turbulence," he finished for her. He gripped the arms of his seat tightly. He had always been calm in the face of turbulence… that was until he met Helen Magnus. He had been in too many plane and helicopter crashes since meeting her – now even slight turbulence made him nervous.

"Landing in Wellington almost always means turbulence," she told him calmly he looked down at her hands resting calmly in her lap and then at his own white knuckled hands… He loosened his grip, slightly. "This is New Zealand's capital and it's affectionately known as _Windy Wellington_. For good reason the wind speeds recorded here are much higher than anywhere else in the country."

"Right," he wished Turangi had an airport – that was where Mt. Ruapehu was situated but apparently they had to fly to Wellington and then drive the five hours up to Turangi. He hoped Magnus would let him drive… While she was perfectly capable of driving she took every chance she could to speed and he usually spent his trip telling her to slow down.

"I think I'll drive us up to Turangi," sometimes he thought she could read his mind.

"Can't I?" He frowned as he realised how incredibly whiny his voice had just sounded. She answered with a frown, her eyebrows drawn together.

"No Will, I know where we are going." She paused and he caught her trying to hide a smile. "Plus we won't be there until next week if I let _you_ drive." The plane bounced again and he chose not to answer her, she was definitely trying to get a rise out of him. He gritted his teeth as the plane bounced on the tarmac and squeezed his eyes closed. They had made it in one piece thankfully but his nerves were still on edge.

…

"How about I let you drive half way?" Wow. Magnus was _compromising_ with him.

"Alright…" He answered slowly. He was waiting for the catch. She just smiled and opened the rental car door for him to sit in the passenger seat. "Why?" He asked as she settled herself into the driver's seat.

"Do I need a reason? Apart from the fact that you _want_ to drive…?"

"No I suppose not." The psychologist part of his brain mulled things over but as they set off he still couldn't come to a conclusion so decided to just make the most of the fact that he only had to sit here watching the road like a hawk for two and a half hours making sure she wasn't going to speed them straight into a truck or something.

The drive went smoothly and at half way they stopped at a petrol station to re-fuel and as they returned to the car Magnus silently slipped into the passenger seat. He sighed with relief and took the wheel.

"Mm," she said appreciatively biting into a chocolate bar. He watched her lick her lips out of the corner of his eye. Sometimes he wondered if she realised the effect she had on him. She was very self-aware after being alive for so long so he was fairly certain she did.

"Good?" He asked, though he knew the answer.

"Of course," she pursed her lips as if thinking on something.

"I think I'd like to stop for lunch in the city before we head out to The Dell." The Dell was her house in Pukawa, a suburb very close to Turangi. She had opted for them to stay there rather than a motel for the first night. They would be traveling on foot from the base of Mt. Ruapehu the following morning so she thought she'd let them have a rest at The Dell for the night. He had stayed in a couple of her properties over the years and they had always been beautiful so he had no doubt _The Dell_ would be too.

"Sure, is there somewhere in particular you want us to stop?"

"The truck stop off the state highway," he just about swerved as she told him this. She wanted to have lunch at a _truck stop_? He shook his head in confusion. He could _not_ picture her sitting in a dirty truck stop eating greasy food and chugging down beer.

"Er… why…?"

"A friend of mine works there," she smiled obviously enjoying his shock.

"Okay," he answered slowly hoping she would elaborate. A friend…? Was it her source? She turned to look out the window. _Conversation over._ He supposed he would just have to wait and see. She did _so_ enjoy keeping him guessing.

**TBC.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two [Kaldis]

..

They had arrived at the truck stop with only a little grumbling from Magnus about how _slow_ he was driving. (Meaning, he was driving the speed limit the entire way). They now sat on stools waiting to be served. Thankfully someone had come and wiped down the bench. When they had first sat down they had to avoid resting their arms on the bench as it was quite obviously sticky with old beer not to mention tomato sauce had been splattered around looking alarmingly like blood.

He kept glancing at Magnus. He just couldn't believe he was seeing her in this dirty place. She always seemed so proper, so _clean_ and so very elegant. He figured she did deal with all sorts of humans _and_ abnormals so he really shouldn't be surprised how relaxed she was in a place like this. She just _looked_ so out of place. A fancy restaurant, a glass of wine in hand…? Now _that_ was how he pictured her.

"Doctor Magnus!" A small man with an alcoholic's bright red and swollen nose approached them from the other side of the counter. He took her hand and gave it a quick kiss. He pressed his lips together trying not to laugh at the chubby hands with dirty black fingernails holding Magnus' pale, delicate hand. He didn't think he'd seen two such different hands in such close proximity before. The man ran a hand over a shiny bald head as red as his nose.

"George," Magnus face had lit up the moment she saw him. However funny Will found the situation George must mean a lot to her, her voice was warm and her smile genuine. "This is Will Zimmerman,"

"Nice to meet you," Will put out his hand and shook with George. He took in a little more of George's appearance and decided he must help out with the trucks rather than cook the food (which was a relief after seeing the state of his hands). George had on a mechanics outfit. He also had a very kind and open smile. Will liked him already.

"So," George said lowering his voice. "You are here to see _them_?"

"Yes we are," she waved over another man who didn't seem to recognise her as George had but smiled politely all the same.

"Can I take your order?" He nodded at Magnus "M'am," and then at Will "Sir,"

"I'd like the chicken burger and fries," Will told him after perusing the menu for not even a minute. There wasn't a lot of choice. He didn't mind though. A nice greasy meal after snacking all morning would be rather nice.

"I'll have the same, with a Steinlager Pure, thank you." She looked over at Will. "Are you having a drink?" He found himself staring at her blankly. He didn't think he had _ever_ seen her drink a beer. She didn't even ask for a glass! He watched the man who had taken their orders pull a beer bottle out of a fridge and pop the cap.

"Uh," he struggled to find his brain. "Uh," he repeated stupidly.

"Will," she ducked her head to look him in the eyes better. "Are you okay?" Her face, filled with concern, brought him back to reality.

"I'll have the same, thanks." He shook his head to ensure it was actually clear and watched Magnus take a swig. She looked like a natural and he couldn't help but smile. He had missed a lot of her conversation with George during his stupor so he quickly focused on the man before them once again.

"Thank you George, I will keep you updated." Damn, he'd missed out. George patted Magnus on the arm and left out the back door.

"Was that your source?" He asked Magnus and took a mouthful of his beer. It was actually quite nice. For someone who didn't drink beer often she had good taste.

"Mm hmm," Magnus agreed. "We can talk about that on the way out." She cocked her head to the side in question and he knew she was wondering about his strange behaviour. Should he try and come up with a better excuse? She was going to think he was a fool.

"I've never seen you drink beer," he admitted. She let out a small laugh, looked at him as if checking to be sure he was serious and then began laughing in earnest. It took her a while to contain herself.

"Oh Will," she covered her mouth as if trying to prevent another laugh escaping. "There is so much you don't know about me." Their meals arrived and they thanked the man who turned out to be named Tom.

"I don't really understand what is so funny." He admitted after finishing his burger. He was really enjoying watching Magnus eating hers and seeing bits of lettuce falling messily onto her plate. She seemed to think over his question while she chewed but eventually answered him.

"I guess it's just that… I have lived a very long time. You have known me for three years… You don't think you could possibly know _everything_ about me by now? Psychologist or not…" She patted his arm and began on her fries.

"Yeah," he supposed he had a lot to learn about Magnus yet. For all he knew she could have spent the first part of her life a beer drinker and only turned to wine in recent years. "Do you smoke?" She almost choked on her fries.

"Of all the questions you could ask me Will… I _have_ smoked. I do not smoke now."

"Sometimes I just want to know the little things," he retorted still a little offended by all the laughing.

They finished their meal in relative silence and the moment they got back into the car – Magnus driving again since she knew the way to The Dell – he again asked her about George. Magnus started the car and looked over at him her face deadly serious.

"Thirty two years ago George – like you – saw his mum attacked by an abnormal. He was only ten years old." She sighed sadly. "He had already lost his father to cancer a couple of years previous so he was devastated by the loss of his mother – and in such a brutal fashion too."

"Did he know what killed his mother was an abnormal?" He asked remembering how crazy everyone had thought he was when he tried to tell them a _monster_ killed his mother.

"He was injured during the attack and had a bout of amnesia. It wasn't until he was twenty three that I heard from him. Someone told me he was researching the death of his mother, his memories had resurfaced and he would do anything to dig up the truth. I came to New Zealand and I took him to the Auckland Sanctuary." She stopped the car in a driveway but he couldn't see anything except trees so he remained seated waiting for the end to the story. "He is a good man, George. He helps out with the Sanctuary network where he can and has never had ill-feelings towards the abnormal that killed his mother. It was a terrible accident… They were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"He must have a very big heart to forgive after losing _both_ his parents." Will said trying to imagine how he would have felt in George's situation, it was bad enough being left with only one parent.

"Well, we are here." She got out and grabbed her suitcase and he followed suit. The stairs leading down to the house were steep and he was glad they had arrived during the day so he could see them clearly. The Dell was a large house nestled in the bush. It looked old but sturdy and the moment they entered the front door he could smell freshly cut firewood.

"It's beautiful," he told Magnus taking in his surroundings. They were in a Lockwood home and had entered into a kitchen/dining room. A large picnic table of some expensive looking wood dominated the dining area and an obviously newly renovated kitchen stood next to it.

"Wait until you see the view," she dumped her suitcase by the table. "Let me show you around," so she led him from room to room. There were two bathrooms, five bedrooms and a balcony that lined the entire front of the house. She took him there last and he gasped aloud at the view. He had read about Lake Taupo before but he had never seen it. The water stretched so far to the left he couldn't see the other side but he could see the city of Taupo (as Magnus pointed out to him) directly across from them and to the right he could see Turangi where they had just come from.

"Amazing," the water looked so clear he felt he could almost see the bottom from where they stood.

"Shall we go down?" She gestured to the lake. From the balcony he could see another set of steep stairs leading into the bush below the house.

"Absolutely,"

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

"I'll have to get Harold to fix these," she frowned at the steep stairs, some had begun rotting and falling away. "He lives next door and takes care of the place for me." The bush they were traipsing through felt as though it would stretch forever but after only a couple of minutes he suddenly burst out into the open behind Magnus. He blinked a few times his eyes adjusting as they left the shade of the trees. The lake stretched out before him, the beach a strange mixture of black sand and white porous looking rocks. He bent and cupped a handful of the black sand in his hands and relished the warmth as he let it slide through his fingers. He looked over at Magnus who had an expectant look on her face.

"Black sand…?" He asked.

"Lake Taupo was created when Mt. Ruapehu erupted many years ago… It created the caldera which later filled with water forming a lake. So therefore the sand is black." She lifted a piece of white rock up and rubbed it between two fingers. "And this is pumice, a type of volcanic rock." She looked out over the water contemplating something; he didn't want to break the beauty of the moment so he left her to her thoughts and wandered to the water's edge.

"It's so clear." Will turned to find Magnus had a smirk on her face. A knot of worry formed in his stomach, nothing good ever came from a smirk like that… What was she up to?

"I think I may go for a swim," she bent and slipped off her shoes standing in the sand with her bare feet, wiggling her toes a little.

"I didn't bring my swimsuit," he told her, confused.

"Nor did I," she began unbuttoning her blouse and he blinked repeatedly wondering if maybe he had actually fallen down the bloody stairs after all… Maybe he was actually unconscious and dreaming. She cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows in his direction. (Nope, not dreaming).

"Oh," he walked back towards the stairs and looked up at them pretending that the bush they had just come through was intensely interesting. A minute or so later he heard a splash and he turned back around to see Magnus treading water.

"It's very refreshing… Are you coming in?" He knew she still wore her bra and panties… which wasn't much different from a bikini but… it still felt very intimate. Did he really want to swim with her? He had been right. Nothing good ever came from that smirk, now he had to decide how much self-control he actually possessed!

"I… Umm… Turn around then…" She laughed at this but did as he said. He slowly undressed to his boxers and then slipped into the water beside her. She turned and he watched her eyes rove over his bare chest and then… below the water. If _she_ could ogle him, then surely he was allowed to do the same? He started at her chest he could see only from the top of her bra up but if he looked under the water he could… A splash in his face stopped him in his tracks and he blinked stupidly at Magnus.

"You wish," she told him in such an un-Magnus like voice he had to laugh. She suddenly disappeared beneath the water and he frantically looked around half expecting her to pull him under; but she didn't. She surfaced a few feet away with a cheeky smile on her face. Suddenly brave he dived underneath the water opening his eyes in the fresh water and swimming towards her legs. Oh this would be _fun_. He grabbed her ankles and tugged.

"You _bastard_…!"She cried as they surfaced. "That was an audacious move!" Her entire face had lit up and her eyes sparkled.

"Did I ever tell you about the Taniwha Will?" She cocked her head to the side in that adorable way that she does when she's about to reveal something curious.

"Nope, not that I recall anyway…."

"The Taniwha is supposedly a creature who will protect their tribe at all costs. It is thought they can live in any body of water. There are only Taniwha left in certain ocean harbours in New Zealand now. They were thought of to kill humans..." She paused for effect. "There are stories of the Taniwha stealing the wives of Maori tribes, eating children..." Magnus rolled her eyes. "As usual - this is incorrect. The Taniwha is as they describe - a creature the size of a whale but more dragon or lizard like in appearance... BUT they are entirely harmless, very docile creatures and they are herbivore only. They don't even have canines!"

"And you let me get into the water!" He yelped frantically looking around beneath the water. He suddenly felt as if there were things touching his legs and he felt a shiver up his spine.

"We are miles from the sea William," she rolled her eyes. "Calm down."

"Thank God," he told her seriously.

"Didn't you hear me tell you how docile the-" He cut her off.

"Don't use the word docile around me; I know what your _docile_ abnormals are like…"

"I'm serious Will,"

"You always are," she splashed him again and he dived beneath the water to avoid any more splashing. He swam in the opposite direction to her but to his surprise when he surfaced they were face to face their noses almost touching.

"Boo," she smirked and pulled away from his face looking pleased with herself.

"That's it," he told her wagging his finger in her face. "Really," he pretended he was about to walk away but instead turned and grabbed her around the waist swinging her into his arms. It was no easy task pulling her out of the water… But he managed. He also managed to toss her into deeper water and then quickly move out of her reach. She resurfaced and pouted at him.

"That wasn't very fair Will…"

"Sorry about that _Doc_," he teased and backed away towards the shore. "I'm hungry… Catch you inside?" He got out of the water expecting her to wait until he had grabbed his clothes and begun climbing the stairs… But modesty seemed forgotten and she swam into shallower water and then just stepped out… He gaped at her standing next to him in nothing but her underwear. He had to remind himself about self-control – which almost went out the window when and leaned in close to his ear, her lips so close he could almost feel them…

"Payback," she whispered and bent to gather her clothes.

He was sure his eyes were going to fall out of his head watching her bend over her panties riding a little up her butt and… then she turned and glared at him. "I can _feel_ your eyes Will, you can go up first." She pointed to the stairs and he moved robotically towards them. How the hell was he going to sleep tonight _now_? He was _never_ going to get rid of those images.

**TBC.**


End file.
